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About this tool
Plan how many US dollars to carry as notes versus card spend, with the changer markup, GST, TCS and RBI cash limit costed in.
This planner splits a United States trip budget into the dollars you should physically carry and the spend you should leave on a card, then prices both. The cash side applies the money changer's markup and the GST on buying foreign exchange, which Rule 32(2)(b) of the CGST Rules sets on a slab — 1% of the gross amount up to ₹1,00,000, so ₹1,00,000 of notes carries ₹180 of GST — while the card side applies the issuer's foreign-currency markup plus 18% GST on that fee. It also tests the plan against the RBI limit of USD 3,000 in currency notes per visit and the ₹10,00,000 LRS threshold at which TCS starts.
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Enter the values you already know.
Fine-tune the options to match your scenario.
Read the result and use it in your planning or reporting.
The GST slab on buying currency and the 18% GST on a card markup are applied, not left as a footnote.
Prices buying notes in India against withdrawing at destination ATMs, counting the flat fee on each withdrawal.
Breaks the figure into the notes to ask for, which matters when tipping runs on singles.
For most trips 10% to 20% of your on-ground budget is enough, because cards are accepted almost everywhere. The cash is really for tipping — 15% to 20% at restaurants, a dollar or two a bag for porters — plus the occasional cash-only counter, so a 10-day trip at $120 a day typically needs roughly $200 to $350 in notes per person.
A resident may carry foreign exchange in currency notes and coins up to the equivalent of USD 3,000 per visit; anything more has to travel as a forex card, traveller's cheque or banker's draft. Separately, US customs requires a report if you bring in more than USD 10,000 in total, and Indian customs requires a declaration on return if unspent notes exceed USD 5,000.
It depends on how many withdrawals you make. Buying notes in India costs the changer's markup, typically 1% to 2%, plus GST on the slab value. An ATM abroad costs your card's foreign-currency markup, usually 2% to 3.5% plus GST, and a flat fee of roughly ₹150 to ₹250 per withdrawal from your bank plus the machine's own surcharge — so several small withdrawals are usually the expensive option.
Only once your Liberalised Remittance Scheme total for the financial year passes ₹10,00,000, the threshold in force from 1 April 2025, after which 20% is collected on the excess for ordinary travel remittances. Buying notes and loading a forex or debit card count towards it; spending abroad on an international credit card has been kept outside LRS for now. TCS is credited against your income tax rather than lost, but confirm the current position with your bank or a chartered accountant.
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